how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need help

okay maybe i wasn't specific enough in my last post.

For the past 2 months i've been eating 900-1100 cals a day. I know this was stupid and i screwed up my metabolism. I'm noticing that even now that i'm eating 1200-1400 cals a day(for about 2 weeks now) i'm gaining a bit of weight. Does this mean that i need to back to 900 cals a day?? i hope not!!!

How can i repair my metabolism? will working out 4 times a weeks say for 40 mins and weight training help repair it, will i ever be able to eat my normal cals a day without the sudden weight gain?

Please i'm just not sure how to apporach this problem, i really need some advice. Is it better to go back to less cals and slowly increase?

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need he

you should definitely increase your calories slowly. your body needs time to adjust to the changes. also, try eating small "meals" many times throughout the day. thats really does help the metabolism. and when i say "meals" i dont actually mean a full meal. im constantly eating all day but i never reallt eat a big meal. i could have a small salad, then an hour later some fruit, an hour later a cup or two of soup, hour later handful of nuts. i find eating something small every hour keeps me full, but not stuffed and keeps my energy up too.

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need help

thank you i'll definately try that, would it make sense then to go back to say, 1000 cals a day and the from there gradually increase eating like you said small meals throughout the day? does that seem dumb?

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need help

Definitely do not cut back again to 1000 calories. Your metabolism will catch up - it will just take some time. You were seriously restricting your intake and it doesn't trust you to feed it what it needs now.

The weight gain that you are experiencing now is either just water weight or some other temporary form of weight. It will definitely not stick around forever and you HAVE NOT ruined your metabolism forever. Keep your calories up and I promise your metabolism will catch up in due time. And don't overdo it with the exercise! Your body is trying to hold onto every calorie it can!

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need he

You have not damaged nor slowed down your metabolism. The Reasoon you see some weight gain is because of Water. When you eat Low Calories your Glycogen stores run low....as you Increase the amount of calories you will start to keep more glycogen...thus you will gain Glycogen which also Holds water. This can make a difference of up to 5lbs from Depleted to Full. This is the Same reason people often see weight gain the day after binging.....They didnt really gain 2lbs of fat in a day....they just fille dup their glycogen.

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need he

definitely do not go back to 1000 cals a day, but also dont force yourself to be eating 1400 if you body does not want to eat that much right away. eat to make yourself full and eat food that are rich in nutrients like veggies, fruits and nuts and seeds. dont try to ad "empty" food just to reach a certain caloric intake for the day

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need he

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluejbirdie

You have not damaged nor slowed down your metabolism. The Reasoon you see some weight gain is because of Water. When you eat Low Calories your Glycogen stores run low....as you Increase the amount of calories you will start to keep more glycogen...thus you will gain Glycogen which also Holds water. This can make a difference of up to 5lbs from Depleted to Full. This is the Same reason people often see weight gain the day after binging.....They didnt really gain 2lbs of fat in a day....they just fille dup their glycogen.

so this glycogen weight will soon disappear? i understand your explanation, thank you by the way, but I'm not sure i understand how it is temporary. How long does it take to go away or is there something that i need to be doing? Where does this weight go or how exactly does it disappear? Right now it just feels like i have lose skin, is that just the water bloating me?

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need he

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluejbirdie

Its not temporary...but it does fluctuate...DOnt be concerned about it...It will fluctuate from Morning to night. Its not FAT and it doesnt change the way you look.

The temporary weight gain (water weight) shows up as bloating and I think most everyone can attest to the fact that bloating, although it may be a temporary condition, does indeed change the way you look (and feel).

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need he

Quote:

Originally Posted by rita

The temporary weight gain (water weight) shows up as bloating and I think most everyone can attest to the fact that bloating, although it may be a temporary condition, does indeed change the way you look (and feel).

I totally agree, the only reason i asked was because i actually did feel my clothes fitting differently so i new i must look a little different, my face was even bloated .

Thanks again everyone, i really appreciate your help and insight. I'm eating much better now which was the whole point.

Re: how can i repair my slowed metabolism due to calorie restriction?? please need help

You should also be aware that if you had restricted your calories mainly by limiting carbs and later started eating more carbs then the bloating is probably likely due to the sudden influx of carbs. The extra (water) weight shows up the day following eating a lot of carbs and usually goes away in a couple days IF you limit your carbs again.